Open thread

UPDATE: Yeah, well, I’m sitting in a Tully’s on Capitol Hill, charging my cell phone, my iBook and myself. I lost power about 2AM, apparently as did the entire SE area of Seattle. Didn’t hit a working light until a few blocks South of here.

All I can say is that the only time I’ve experienced sustained winds like that was a tail-end of a hurricane as a child. That was some windstorm.

I didn’t see a problem in Everett when I left this morning (at least not in MY part of Everett). I-5 to Alderwood was clear of debris, same with I-405 South to Bellevue.

I arrived early, at 6:15 a.m., so I drive to check out my boss’s house. He’s out of town. Everything west of 106th st. in Bellevue is without power, including Bellevue Square. Gee, ten days before Christmas, the store owners will be tearing their hair out.

All traffic lights and street lights west of 106th NE in Bellevue are dead. Some of the drivers are observing the “four-way-stop” rule, but lots are not. Cross the street at your own risk. The Bellevue Police have N.E. 8th blocked off, between 106th and Bellevue Way, I couldn’t see why.

The Denny’s at NE 8th and 116th is open but jammed, with cars trying to wait in line for someone to leave so they can park. I guess a lot of people couldn’t cook breakfast, so they decided to eat out this morning. It’s also a bad day for the tractor-trailer delivering supplies to Denny’s, the driver is trying to wedge his truck between the lined-up cars in the parking lot and the front of the building.

My office has power, I’m checking the computer network now. I’ll probably have to re-set everything, but it looks like the battery back-up system protected everything, if they had some temporary outages.

But so far I’m the only one here. One person who lives in Bellevue should be here by now but is not, maybe their power went out. The gal who lives in the Greenlake area will probably call out today, since the 520 Bridge is still closed.

It feels like a snow day. I’ll bet lots of people will take the day off.

I got a call from the gal in our office who lives in Bellevue. Her house doesn’t have power, and she doesn’t know how to open her garage doors to get out. I tell her how to find the release mechanism, and after a bit of searching she finds it. But on the way in she almost runs into a tree across the road, she couldn’t see it well in the dark.

Yawn. MY power never goes out. (picks front teeth) I have very reliable power down here in my bunker — just stick a couple wires in my underground compost heap, and my rabbit pellets do the rest. Looks like all the fucking wingnuts are freezing in the dark this morning. Good! It’s about time they learned how to live like rodents. After we kick their sorry asses out of power they’ll all have to live in cold, dank sewers. Serves ’em right.

Goldy said: “All I can say is that the only time I’ve experienced sustained winds like that was a tail-end of a hurricane as a child. That was some windstorm.”

It seems to happen every five years or so around here.

I remember being without power for several days after the inaugeral day storm in Jan. 1993. No heat, no gasoline (gas stations’ didn’t have power either), no TV or radio, only one small fireplace and a couple of Dureflame logs. I walked a couple of miles to the store, only to find that they were sold out of anything you could burn in a fireplace.

Then there was the Thanksgiving Day storm in the early 1980’s when everybody’s power went off with the turkeys all halfway cooked in the oven. I also remember one storm, I can’t remember which one it was specifically, where I and my neighbors stood in the street on top of the hill and watched power transformers exploding on the surrounding hills. It was like watching a fireworks display.

So our house now has two fireplaces fed by natural gas, and we keep the outdoor grill with a full propane bottle. When I heard the projections yesterday, I made sure every vehicle in our family had topped-off gas tanks. At home we put tea candles in glass holders around the house, ready to light if we needed them (they are safer than tapers).

5 Authorities are saying don’t drive unless absolutely necessary. Signals out everywhere. Over 1 million homes in western Washington are without power. Wonder why HA is up? Is Goldy’s server in Bangladesh?

I live in North Wallingford / Greenlake and my power went out around 11:00 pm last night. That’s when I discovered that my old gas water heater with the pilot light is superior to my shiny new gas furnace with the electronic ignition. Had to use my camp stove to make breakfast and coffee. Cafe Zoka was closed!

Sstarr at 9: I know what you mean, about the furnace. When we bought our current home, I was happy that we had a gas furnace. “No more cold during power outages”, I thought. But then when I looked at it more carefully, I realized that since it was controlled by an electric thermostat. I thought I found a way around that, but then I found it had a shut-off to keep it from igniting unless the electric fan was available to push the exhaust up the stack until it could draft for itself.

That’s why we installed gas into the two fireplaces, without a thermostat. They have electric fans which blow out the hot air from the area surrounding the firebox, but the fireplace will still heat up a room somewhat, even if the fans are not working.

Gee, I wonder what it’s like trying to find a hotel room in Seattle today?

Gee thanks folks, for sending it all this way. It is too bad they emptied the dumpster yesterday. It decided that it should go with the wind at 7 AM damaging a couple of parked SUV’s. And it wasn’t the only one. New rule for trash collection: when giant windstorm is predicted, keep the trash in the dumpsters. Of course, unlike hurricanes, the windchill is downright nasty, and that is with the sun out.

We lost power at about 11 pm, and a snag fell and took out part of our fence and is blocking part of the driveway. We’ll have to deal with that, but thankfully no trees (we are surrounded by tall Doug firs and other trees) fell on the house! I’m told our power came back on about 9:15 this morning, I was already on my way in to work so I could at least get a hot shower.

But yeah, that was quite a show last night, with all the wind and the lights.

Was it too much to expect that The Seattle Times would have a Plan B, a generator, a list of emergency employees, or some way to publish? The voluntary suicide of the print media is on display. The wind blew that dog into the target and it got shot down.

Don’t know if you have heard; Governor Gregoire has issued a press release about 520 and the Viaduct. She says 6 lanes for 520. She punted the Viaduct to the voters with a choice of replacement or tunnel. She wants it on the ballot in November.

Re the Evergreen Point Just-Barely-Floating-As-Long-As-The-Wind-Doesn’t-Blow Bridge. Release is at http://www.governor.wa.gov/new.....newsType=1 (or click on my name). Those of you who are more savvy with local politics than I am, how do you parse her statement about the finances? On the surface, she’s saying there’s not enough money in the plans now to do it, and they should keep studying the issue. Is that an indirect promise that we’ll get more state money? Or does that delay the project?

1) Most professionally-run colo centers have fairly serious backup power and connectivity systems to protect against failures in line power, idiots with backhoes, and other issues with modern life. I could go into this, but colo security even bores me, and that’s what I do for my daily bread.

2) In a fine bit of irony, the premier blog on Northwest politics is located in San Antonio, TX.

There were enough problems with power up here to partially disable the Skytrain. I was a wee bit late in getting to work this morning.

I’ve been in hurricanes before, and that was the closest thing I’ve ever seen to one in Seattle. At about 2:30am, the clouds were just racing across the sky. My DirecTV dish was ripped out of my roof and is pointing straight up.

Nothing more than some very impressive wind noise here in upper Fremont. My lights flickered a few times, but not enough to even reset the clock on the VCR or clock radio, and cable TV went dead for a few minutes. That’s it.

Well, there was one thing — somewhere nearby, a glass-recycling bin was blown over at about 2:30am. The noise woke me up, and then there were unbroken bottles or jars rolling around and clinking on concrete for a while. Someone went out and tidied up the mess, enough so that I still haven’t seen exactly where the event actually happened.

Gee, I wonder what authority the Governor would have to order the City of Seattle to vote on the viaduct/tunnel issue? I would think it was a regional issue, if not a state issue. But I don’t want the Republicans in Eastern Washington voting on it. They don’t pay for it anyway, more tax money is collected in the west and goes east, than the other way around.

Anyway, it seems that most of the politicians are looking for political cover on this issue. Nobody wants to face those ads in their next election which will show their picture with “Voted for highest tax increase ever!” or “Sponsored Seattle’s Tunnel Debacle” splashed across it. I’m sure Gregoire is thinking about having to run for office again in a few short years.

Please note that I can pretty much predict what those ads will say, regardless of any of the actual facts. The Wingnuts will be printing up those adds without regard to any facts. The truth is unimportnat. Somebody, like the Seattle Times, will twist the numbers to give them any support they want, after the fact.

The biggest problem is that I don’t see any big money out there to support a campaign for the tunnel option. There will be the usual people, like Eyman’s supporters, who are willing to pay millions to Eyman in the hope of avoiding paying a few hundred dollars in taxes. They can fund a big “No Tunnel/No New Viaduct/Do Nothing” campaign. But who is going to pay big bucks for advertising on a “Yes on the Tunnel” campaign?

Our power went out at about 5:30 on Monday when a tree limb came down and took out a power line, ripping the neighbor’s meter off of the wall. We were back up in about eight hours; they just got their power back yesterday morning, I think.

Then last night’s storm hit. About 11:30 at night we heard and felt a big THUNK-kerGRNNNNNNNDT-KLUNK on the roof. I ran out and saw another branch from that same tree wedged in between our two houses. It had obviously damaged the roof, but I still haven’t been out to see exactly how much.

I’m afraid the tree is going to come down. It’s probably damaged enough that it won’t be able to survive. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m not holding out much hope.

13 Right Stuff says: Roger was lucky to survive the flooding rain! swear we had 2+ inches in less than an hour! Bet you needed rabbit flippers eh Roger. 12/15/2006 at 10:46 am

I haven’t had a flooding problem since I installed pipes last spring to drain the water into my underground swimming pool. I didn’t need flippers last night, but I do have a rubber ducky in my indoor pool.

Also, here is a big thank you to all the work being done by the folks with the Department of Transportation and the poor saps with the power companies going up in buckets and spurs to get modernity back on track. Not to mention all the cops trying to do their best imitation of a traffic light. Thanks to all!

34: Yes, thanks to all the workers out there who are getting the power back on for all of us, even though their own homes and families may be without power.

In tribute:

Lyrics for: Wichita Lineman

I am a lineman for the county And I drive the main roads Searching in the sun for another overload I hear you singing in the wire And I can hear you through the whine And the Wichita lineman is still on the line

I know I need a small vacation But it don’t look like rain If it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain And I need you more than want you And I want you for all time And the Wichita lineman is still on the line

And I need you more than want you And I want you for all time And the Wichita lineman is still on the line

1) Goldy doesn’t do business directly with Texas. He contracts with a shared hosting provider, and the hosting provider in turn rents servers from a Texas-based hosting provider. It’s a process similar to how airlines frequently rent planes from airplane rental companies. We in turn rent seats on those rented planes to get us where we need to go.

2) Hosting servers is not a traditional high value-add service. You have a room. It takes up a lot of space, it sucks up a lot of electricity. You have a guy (or gal) who runs the room who is paid $12/hour. S/he sits around for 8 hours a day surfing the web, studying up on network certifications and doing work only if the red light goes on.

Somewhere in an office someplace nice is an overpaid systems freak like me. That office and that systems freak do not need to be anywhere near the physical boxes. I go into machine rooms only as a last resort. They’re noisy and freezing cold. I have a role here which is somewhat support-related in that real live users sometimes show up and ask me (or my staff) questions. If I was just responsible for the servers, and had no user responsibilities, I’d have a $12/hour guy working here and would watch the servers from a beach towel in Brazil.

Writing off all of Texas as the capital of Jesusland is a little ignorant of Texas, quite frankly. Austin is a big tech center, home of a well-endowed research university, and a lot of the free and freaky counterculture and street life that goes with it. Dallas and Houston are Republican strongholds, but this shouldn’t surprise anybody. They’re giant sprawling shitholes of cities with acres of lawns, no zoning regulations, and no culture that can’t be packaged into a strip mall. They’re pretty much a git-the-government-off-my-back Republican’s wet dream.

Remember that Delay had to agressively redistrict Texas to kick the legislature reliably Republican, and until Bush changed the law as governor, there was no CCW provision in Texas (unlike liberal Washington state, where CCW permits are given out like candy).

sorry about the power outage up there guys. try to stay warm and safe. the weather service says that you have snow on the way now. i believe that is called ‘the frosting on the cake’ is it not? but look at it in a positive light. for those of you that just despise christmas…no more christmas lights….. BWAAA HAAA HAAAAA……..

I’d offer a warm sleeping space and food to a Moonbat! but I’d have to listen to their political rubbish. Our lights flickered but stayed on. Hmmm… maybe I’ll visit Stefan Sharkansky’s blog and offer my home to a deserving neocon.

I love this commentary from Moonbat! newspapers over the health of Tim Johnson. No neocon is waiting for his incapacitation, but the Libtard MSM is. Why do libtards speculate over potentialities that may never come to fruition? Now they are attacking the Republican Governor of South Dakota. All he said was we are praying for Tim Johnson’s speedy recovery. Yet you libtards are the vultures, speculating on Tim’s demise from the senate.

Libtards – sick in the mind! Yes, watch for Clueless – YLB comment on Nov 7th. Clueless this is a different topic. November 7th has no bearing here. Nov 7th was a referendum on the Iraq War Clueless. Do I need to send the memo?

Also libtards, if this was such a referendum against neocons why are the libtard MSM complaining about the tenuous senate balance? You should have won more seats like the House. To me it shows how tenuous your position is with your old men like Ted Leave Them for Dead Kennedy, Robert Grand KKK Klagon Byrd, Daniel WWI War Hero Inoye, and Senator Akaka. If any/all these guys disappear, they’ll be a balance of power switch.

Once a libtard decides they are out to get you they will lie, smear your reputation and hide exculpatory evidence. Sounds to me like they are describing Furball’s time in the legal profession! Maybe he was given early retirement on purpose. Maybe Nifong needs it too!

“This year the trend continued. Voters went to the polls in 22 contested Supreme Court races in 11 states on November 7. TV ads appeared in all but one of the states, and new candidate fundraising records were set in four states, according to the Brennan Center of Justice. In at least eight Supreme Court campaigns, fundraising totals soared past $1 million. In Washington State, independent advertising by special interest groups in furtherance of an unsuccessful primary campaign to oust the state’s incumbent Supreme Court Chief Justice, Gerry Alexander, exceeded $1.3 million, according to a recent report in the Seattle-Post-Intelligencer…

Federal court administrators use the term “judicial emergency” to refer to federal jurisdictions where the appointment process has lagged in filling judicial vacancies. In states where judges are chosen by election, by contrast, the real “judicial emergency” isn’t vacancies, but the degree to which courts are now filled with judges who are beholden to the moneyed interests that helped elect them.”

I am Republican – I lie, steal and cheat when I’m not being a family man (fat whore) or crying about liberal Democrats. I share the same view as 1 billion worldwide Mooooooooooooooslims, I hate fags – Ted Haggard and Friends. Hail Hitler

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